OF FOREST-TREES. 



79 



cerning the raising of this tree from the acorn : it will also endure the cHAP. 111. 

 laying, but never to advantage of bulk or stature. It is in the mean ^--"^v""^ 

 time the propagation of these large spreading Oaks, which is especially- 

 recommended for the excellency of the timber, and that his Majesty's 

 forests were well and plentifully stored with them, because they require 

 room and space to amplify and expand themselves, and should therefore 



they are suffered to grow old and strong, they frequently grow again, es . cially if rain 

 falls soon after, perfect their seed in a short time, and thereby poison the soil of the whole 

 plantation. 



The second year of their growth, in extensive plantations, the double-shelving and com- 

 mon plough may be made use of, as before directed, to cultivate and keep the ground 

 clean ; and this culture should be attended to until the plants are become so large that it 

 will not be in the power of the weeds to injure them. As plantations of Oaks from the 

 acorn are rather precarious, it will be right to form a small seminary in the same field, to 

 repair the intervals that may have miscarried. And here it may be necessary to observe, 

 that this seminary should be taken from the l)est part of the field, and in the warmest 

 situation, in order that the young plants may have good roots, without which they would 

 make but an indifferent progress when planted out. 



Having thus given directions for the raising of woods, both by young sets and from acorns, 

 I now proceed to their future management, which must be the same in both. And first, 

 the rows being four feet asunder, and the plants two feet distant in the rows, they may 

 stand in this manner for twelve or fourteen years, when every second plant may be taken 

 out and sold for hoops or small poles. Now, though I say in twelve or fourteen years the 

 plants will be of use for these purposes, yet this is only a general rule, as the different 

 goodness of the land will make a great variation in the growth of the plants ; and conse- 

 quently, if the trees take to growing well, they will want thinning sooner. This business 

 therefore, should be left to the discretion of the person intrusted with the care of the 

 plantation. 



After every second plant is taken away, let the roots be grubbed up, not only because 

 they will pay for their grubbing as fire-Avood, but that there may be more room given for 

 the standing plants freely to extend their roots. 



The plants being now four feet asunder each way, they will require no more thinning 

 for seven or eight years, when the healthiest and best thriving trees must be marked to 

 stand for timber, and the others cut down for poles, and their roots left to produce future 

 under-wood. 



In this manner tlie rows filled with plants from the nursery must be managed, in which 

 case we can speak with precision with regard to thinning. The same husbandry must be 

 applied to the rows under cultivation from the seed ; but the planter in this last method 

 must be left to form his own ideas in respect to thinning, as no human knowledge can de- 

 termine, before hand, how thick the seedling plants will appear in the rows. In rocky 

 and mountainous soils, the plants or acorns must be put down irregularly by the spade, 

 and the planter must be directed in this operation by the particular circumstances of the 

 soil and situation. 



